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It’s been a tough year for gaming console prices, as RAM shortages keep driving up prices. Not long after Valve unveiled its $1000+ pricetag for the Steam Machine, Xbox yet again announced higher prices for its consoles. The rising price of hardware has many gamers hoping to hold onto their current setup until the market improves. But a new report from a leading PC manufacturer, Lenovo, warns that’s probably not going to happen.
During a recent presentation at the 2026 ISC conference, Lenovo reportedly broke down its projections for the price of DRAM and NAND products. And the situation is bleak enough that Lenovo’s slides dubbed it “RAMageddon.” The projections clearly show that prices have risen alarmingly quickly starting in mid-to-late 2025, reaching alarming new highs. The high cost of these memory components is already being passed on to consumers, as the unprecedented price hikes for older consoles have shown. Lenovo doesn’t expect things to improve any time soon, which means gamers should brace for more price hikes.
Lenovo Predicts High RAM Prices Will Stick Around as “New Normal”
Details about Lenovo’s ISC 2026 presentation, as reported by German site Computer Base, paint a bleak picture for console prices going forward. Lenovo is one of the biggest PC manufacturers in the world, so they certainly have a decent idea of market conditions. And those conditions are not good. In fact, one slide in their presentation to the ISC audience lays out a “5 Step RAMageddon Survival Guide.” Though Lenovo’s focus is on how to survive as a computer company, those high price projections will impact consumers, too.
Looking at the shocking spike in DRAM and NAND prices over the last year, Lenovo predicts costs will stay high for at least the next five years or more. Ultimately, they expect a “new normal” to emerge as prices settle in the next four to five years, with prices staying significantly higher than in 2024 and early 2025. If that proves true, the next generation of consoles could be even more expensive than fans expect, even if Xbox and Sony try to wait out the rising costs.
Both PlayStation and Xbox are reportedly working on their next-gen consoles. With both the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S released in 2020, both are nearing the end of a traditional console life cycle. Over the last several generations, the typical time between new generations has been roughly 6 to 7 years. So, it feels like just a matter of time before the PS6 and Project Helix set their release dates. But if Lenovo’s right about memory component prices, that may not be a smart move.
Rumors already suggest PlayStation is considering a delay for the PS6, pushing it back to 2028 or even further. As for Xbox, the most recent details for Project Helix suggest a late 2027 launch. But given that Xbox just increased the price for its current generation consoles again, that plan may need to change. The reality is that many consumers can’t afford the high prices that newer consoles may demand.
AI data center demands might be putting unique pressure on memory components, but inflation is high in many key sectors, which leaves budgets tight. While gamers are still finding the budget for that $100 Ultimate Edition of GTA 6, paying over $1000 for a next-gen console is likely to be another story. But if the next generation of consoles does release with prices this high, it’s likely that the Steam Machine’s shocking pricetag may be gaming’s own form of a “new normal.”
Do you plan on buying a next-gen console, or do you think high prices will have you sticking to what you already have? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the Forum!
Xbox Warns That Even More Price Increases Are Coming
